All aboard the ARC | Mark Dowd | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

...These were just some of the scenes in the state apartments of Windsor Castle last week enjoyed by the Duke of Edinburgh, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon and more than 250 delegates to the "Many Heavens One Earth" gathering organised by the UN-funded Alliance of Religions and Conservation. It's easy to lampoon interfaith gatherings. They are often well-meaning but vacuous ensembles of robed dignitaries sipping cinnamon tea. The shared statements often amount to nothing more than a hybrid Esperanto of platitudes. And after the Windsor three-day event, it's true I did hear one or two muttering voices of dissent: "Isn't it an own goal flying people here for this? Think of the carbon emissions." (You can bet your bottom dollar that the Daily Mail are already at work on the collective carbon footprint of the UN Climate Summit starting on 7 December in Copenhagen.)

Should climate deniers be allowed to speak on the Today programme? | George Monbiot | Environment | guardian.co.uk

No one should be allowed to speak on the Today programme until the interviewer is equipped to challenge them.

Kansas farmers would gain from cap-and-trade [scam] | Tom Vilsack - Wichita Editorial | Wichita Eagle

The community of Greensburg [get it?] is doing just that with support from the Obama administration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a $17.4 million loan to help build 10 wind turbines near Greensburg that will supply renewable energy, create green jobs and support the local economy. Greensburg stands out as an example of the promise and potential for farming and ranching communities across rural America to embrace the clean-energy economy.

Ban Ki-moon climate deputy says Copenhagen deal may take two stage approach

The top climate lieutenant to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that a major — though perhaps preliminary — international agreement to curb global warming is still possible in Copenhagen. One leading option is to set low targets for emissions reductions initially and to boost them if global warming gets worse.